Extension top or canopy for vehicles.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1995.

7 H. SMITHV EXTENSION TOP 0R GANOPY'POR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1904.

UNITED STATES.

Patented. April 18, 1905.

HINSDALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXTENSION TOP OR CANOPY FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 787,798, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed July 18, 1904. Serial No. 217,017.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HINSDALE SMITH, a citizen of the United States of-America, and a resident of SpringfielcLin the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in EX- tension Tops or Canopies for Vehicles, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to carriage tops or canopies, and more especially to that class thereof which are used on carriage-bodies having a plurality of seats; and it has for one of its objects the provision of what may be called an extension-top adapted to cover all the seats of the carriage or, which may be arranged or contracted to cover only one of said seats, while at the same time the entire canopy may be collapsed and folded back in a manner similar to the top of a so-called landau.

My invention has, furthermore, for its object the provision of suitable guys or stays whereby the top structure may be rendered rigid relatively to the carriage-body.

Further objects will be found in the provision of peculiarly-constructed support-brackets disposed on the body in such a manner that the frame-braces may be secured thereto or removed therefrom easily and without loss of time.

In the drawings, in which similar characters denote similar parts, Figure 1 is a side view of a carriage-body having a top-01' canopy embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating in detail the construction and assemblage of the foremost supportbracket, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rear brackets.

While, as above stated, my invention may be applied to a carriage-body comprising any number of seats, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a two-seat body (designated by 10) and having seat-backs 11 and 12, adapted to be covered by a top or canopy (J, supported by a frame which is normally carried on the rear seat 12 by brackets 13. Inasmuch as the several devices to be hereinafter described are similar on both sides of the carriage-body it is not deemed necessary to show the other side of the carriage, and

the following description presumes that this fact of duplication is clearly understood.

The bracket 13 is permanently secured to the panel of the rear seat 12 and has a laterally-projecting arm 14, provided with a vertical aperture (not shown) to receive a pintle 15, forming a part of a post 16 and held in place in the hub 14 of the arm 14 by anut 17, which will permit a ready attachment or removal of the post 16 to and from the bracket 13. The post 16 is preferably bent outward at its upper end to form a stud 18, pivotally supporting the-lower end of a frame-arm 19 I and having a nut 20 for firmly holding the hub 19 of the arm 19 in place. In order to insure lightness in weight, the arm 19 is metallic only at its lower end, while its upper end may be made of wood and secured to its pivot-piece by screws or otherwise.

The arm 19 is provided with a lug 20, pivotally to receive the lower end of a brace 21, the construction of which may be similar to that of the arm 19 and the upper end of which may be secured to one end of the canopy-top (1, made of canvas or other suitable material. In order to hold the brace in proper position, 1 preferably employ a strap-gu y 22, held with one end on the seat side 12, thereby practically positioning the rear end of the canopy, which may have a back curtain 23, if desired. In the drawings the canopy is shown extending over the front seat, which has abracket 24 pivotally supporting an upright arm 25, the upper end of which is secured to the canopy-section C in any suitable manner, thus keeping the latter at proper height from the seat. Furthermore, a canopy extension C may be provided in connection with the middle section 0 to protect the front seat 11, the arm 25 having a lug 25 for pivotally supporting the front brace 26, the free end of which is attached to the canopy-section C and which may be retained in properposition by a guy 27, attached with its lower end to any convenient part of the body.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the entire superstructure may be attached to the body in a very firm and substantial manner, and in order to permit the canopy to be manipulated so asto admit of covering the rear seat only, as indicated by dotted lines D, the arm 19 has a forwardlyprojecting lug 30, provided with a trunnion 30, adapted to receive the pivot-section of the arm 25 above mentioned, in which case the central canopy-section G will be folded together, and thus secured in any convenient manner, While the front guy may then be secured at the bracket 2 L of the front seat, as indicated, thus covering the entire rear seat and its floor-space, but leaving the front seat uncovered. It Will also be understood that the front section C may be collapsed, as indicated by dotted lines D, leaving only the rear seat 12 under cover, and if it should be desired to dispense With the top cover entirely the entire device may be thrown back, as indicated by dotted lines D, a forked bracket 31 being provided to receive and retain the brace 21, and thus support the entire canopyframe in its folded-back position.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination With a vehicle-bod y and a canopy-top, comprising asingle strip of flexible material forming a plurality of connected collapsible sections, of side brackets secured to opposite sides of the body at the front and rear thereof and each having a laterally-extended journal-pin, front and rear supportingarms for the canopy-sections, pivotally supported respectively on the journal-pin of the said front and rear side brackets, the said rear arms each having a laterally-projecting pin, and the front arms each having an apertured boss, the construction being such that the front arms may be removed from the journal-pins of the front brackets, the canopy folded back and the apertured bosses fitted over the laterally-projecting pins on the rear arms.

2. The combination with a vehicle-body and a canopy-top, comprising a single strip of flexible material constituting a plurality of collapsible connected sections, of brackets secured to opposite sides of the body at the front and rear thereof and each having a laterallyextending journal-pin, front and rear sup porting-arms for the canopy-sections removably pivoted to the journal-pins on the said front and rear brackets respectively, the said rear arms each having a laterally-projecting integral pin, and the front arms each having an apertured boss by which they are pivoted to the journal-pin on the front brackets, the arrangement being such that said front arms may be removed from their journal-pins, the canopy folded back and the apertured bosses fitted over the laterally-projecting pins on the rear arms, and detachable means for retaining the said arms on the pins.

3. The combination With a vehicle-body and acanopy-top, comprising asingle strip of flexi ble material constituting a plurality of connected collapsible sections, of brackets secured to opposite sides of the body at the front and rear thereof, each bracket having an outwardly-bent stud, front and rear supportingarms for the canopy-sections each having an apertured boss constituting the means for attaching the arms to the studs on the front and rear brackets respectively, a lug on each rear arm, and a laterally-projecting pin inte' gral With each lug, the arrangement being such that the front arms may be removed from their studs, the canopy-sections folded back and. the apertured bosses fitted over the laterally-projecting pins on the rear arms and detachable means for retaining the said arms on their pins, substantially as described.

Signed by me, at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HINSDALE SMITH,

WVitnesses:

I WM. S. BELLOWS,

A. V. LEAI-IY. 

